Exile was known as "removed from the game" before it was renamed in the wake of the Magic 2010 rules update.[2] Unlike other zones, it is considerably harder to access cards from this zone. Only a few cards, such as Pull from Eternity or Riftsweeper, can touch them without having the cards exiled themselves. Mark Rosewater tries to limit such cards.[3] The exile zone is used as a holding place for other cards, as in the case with the mechanics Imprint and Suspend. However, it is also sometimes used similarly to the graveyard as a zone for cards that were eliminated by the opponent, for example a creature being exiled by Swords to Plowshares. Exiling primarily occurs among white, black, and colorless cards. Due to the multiple purposes of the exile zone, there is no unified flavor of exile, though the flavor of cards exiled from the battlefield often is a flavor of disappearance or transformation.

406.1. The exile zone is essentially a holding area for objects. Some spells and abilities exile an object without any way to return that object to another zone. Other spells and abilities exile an object only temporarily.

406.2. To exile an object is to put it into the exile zone from whatever zone it’s currently in. An exiled card is a card that’s been put into the exile zone.

406.3. Exiled cards are, by default, kept face up and may be examined by any player at any time. Cards “exiled face down” can’t be examined by any player except when instructions allow it. However, once a player is allowed to look at a card exiled face down, that player may continue to look at that card as long as it remains exiled, even if the instruction allowing the player to do so no longer applies. A card exiled face down has no characteristics, but the spell or ability that exiled it may allow it to be played from exile. Unless that card is being cast face down (see rule 707.4), the card is turned face up just before the player announces that they are playing the card (see rule 601.2).

406.4. Face-down cards in exile should be kept in separate piles based on when they were exiled and how they were exiled. If a player is instructed to choose an exiled card, the player may choose a specific face-down card only if the player is allowed to look at that card. Otherwise, they may choose a pile of face-down exiled cards, and then a card is chosen at random from within that pile. If choosing such a card is part of casting a spell or activating an ability, the chosen card isn’t revealed until after that cost is fully paid. (See rule 601.2i.)

406.5. Exiled cards that might return to the battlefield or any other zone should be kept in separate piles to keep track of their respective ways of returning. Exiled cards that may have an impact on the game due to their own abilities (such as cards with haunt) or the abilities of the cards that exiled them should likewise be kept in separate piles.

406.6. An object may have one ability printed on it that causes one or more cards to be exiled, and another ability that refers either to “the exiled cards” or to cards “exiled with [this object].” These abilities are linked: the second refers only to cards that have been exiled due to the first. See rule 607, “Linked Abilities.”

406.7. If an object in the exile zone becomes exiled, it doesn’t change zones, but it becomes a new object that has just been exiled.

406.8. Previously, the exile zone was called the “removed-from-the-game zone.” Cards that were printed with text that “removes [an object] from the game” exiles that object. The same is true for cards printed with text that “sets [an object] aside.” Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference.

“Remove [something] from the game” is an obsolete term for “exile [something].” “The removed card” is an obsolete term for “the exiled card.” The removed-from-the-game zone is an obsolete term for the exile zone. Cards with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference. See Exile.

Because graveyard interaction is often flavored as a form of necromancy, exiling cards is also often flavored as a spell that would make creatures unable to be revived, either by way of exorcising spirits (such as Rest in Peace) or by reducing the creature to a state that its body cannot possibly be reanimated (such as Lava Coil).

Capping is a slang term of a special type of exile, named after the card Jester's Cap, the first card to use the effect. This term refers to searching an opponent's library for specific cards and exiling them in order to deny the opponent of their use at some future time.

Haunting Echoes — all cards from target player's graveyard other than basic land cards; for each card exiled this way, search that player's library for all cards with the same name as that card and also exile them.

Reap Intellect — reveals hand. You choose up to X nonland cards from it and exile them. For each card exiled this way, search that player's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library.

Struggle for Sanity — target opponent reveals his or her hand. That player exiles a card from it, then you exile a card from it. Repeat this process until all cards in that hand have been exiled. That player returns the cards he or she exiled this way to his or her hand and puts the rest into his or her graveyard.

Suppress — all cards from target player's hand face down, your choice (exiled card returns at beginning of the end step of that player's next turn)

Surgical Extraction — target card in a graveyard other than a basic land card, your choice, search same name

Thought Hemorrhage — name a nonland card, reveals hand, your choice, search same name (also deals 3 damage for each card with that name revealed this way)

Banisher Priest–like effects (When this card enters the battlefield, exile target creature/permanent until this card leaves play.) are primary in white, and secondary in blue and green.[7][8][9]

Brain Maggot— : When enters the battlefield, look at cards in target opponents hand, exile one until Brain Maggot leaves the battlefield

Daxos of Meletis— Whenever deals combat damage to a player, top card of that player's library. You gain life equal to that card's converted mana cost. Until end of turn, you may cast that card and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast it.

Lord of the Void — 7/7 - whenever this deals combat damage to a player, exile the top seven cards of that player's library, then put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield under your control.

Magus of the Jar — , Sacrifice Magus of the Jar: Each player exiles all cards from his or her hand face down and draws seven cards. At the beginning of the next end step, each player discards his or her hand and returns to his or her hand each card he or she exiled this way.

Chained to the Rocks — : When enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Chained to the Rocks leaves the battlefield.

Descent into Madness — at the beginning of your upkeep, put a despair counter on Descent into Madness, then each player exiles X permanents he or she controls and/or cards from his or her hand, where X is the number of despair counters on Descent into Madness.

Elkin Lair — at the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player exiles a card at random from his or her hand. The player may play that card this turn. At the beginning of the next end step, if the player hasn't played the card, he or she puts it into his or her graveyard.

Parallax Nexus — - Fading - Remove a fade counter from this: Target opponent exiles a card from his or her hand. When Parallax Nexus leaves the battlefield, each player returns to his or her hand all exiled cards.

Planeswalker's Mischief — - : Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. If it's an instant or sorcery card, exile it. You may cast it without paying its mana cost for as long as it remains exiled. (If it has X in its mana cost, X is 0.) At the beginning of the next end step, if you haven't cast it, return it to its owner's hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

Rest in Peace — when this enters the battlefield, exile all cards from all graveyards. If a card or token would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.

Memory Jar — - , Sacrifice Memory Jar: Each player exiles all cards from his or her hand face down and draws seven cards. At the beginning of the next end step, each player discards his or her hand and returns to his or her hand each card he or she exiled this way.

In the above list; "their choice" means the target player gets to choose which cards to exile, "your choice" means the person casting the spell gets to choose, "search same name" means search exiled card's controller's graveyard, hand, and library for all cards with the same name as that card and exile them also.

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